Daniel Preston Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hooker was the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and WKBF X-Rules Welterweight Champion. As of 22 October 2024, he is #6 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
Early life
Hooker was born in Auckland, New Zealand into a family of partial Māori (Ngāti Maniapoto) descent. He grew up playing both codes of rugby throughout his schooling and was introduced to mixed martial arts by a friend after leaving school.